Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

He didn't know what it was. Her pink hair and equally pink jacket? Her over the top energy? Something about this girl stood out to him. He was pretty sure it was the hair. It was dyed a vibrant pink, and she wore a pink jacket to match. While everyone else, including him, wore basic clothing and had their presumably natural hair color. 

He didn't really remember her name. He and the other four on the boat to Isla Nublar had briefly introduced themselves. But he didn't remember their names. He was too excited to see dinosaurs. 

But he wanted to ask her again. What her name was. But she was too busy talking to her phone in an exaggerated manner, so he didn't ask her. 

Chapter Text

Brooklynn. Brooklynn was her name. Big social media influencer. He'd not gotten to know her too well. She was all about her online presence. She was a little insensitive, but also nice sometimes. She'd labeled him 'Dino Nerd' on the first day of camp. 

He didn't know why, but he didn't mind it. Maybe it was the affectionate way in which she said it. But a few nights later, she had interrupted his campfire story multiple times. He figured there was no use trying to befriend her. But then he had to ride in a gyrosphere with her. 

In there, he learned Brooklynn was insecure about her public image. He tried to cheer her up, but she lashed out, and then apologized. And then she'd started to open up, but claimed he wouldn't understand. 

He didn't know why he wanted to befriend her so badly. Maybe because when she was nice and down to earth, she was super nice and down to earth. Whatever the reason, it resulted in him chasing a Sinoceratops after convincing her that her followers would love it. 

And he got her to be nice to him. 

"Just keep driving, Dino Nerd," she'd said after he jokingly feigned disgust at her using her gum to stick her phone in place. 

"Sure thing, Superstar," he'd replied, enjoying the friendly banter. Only to get them sinking in mud. He wouldn't soon forget the way she looked at him desperately, tears threatening to spill as death seemed imminent. 

The others managed to rescue them, and they made it back to camp safely. But Darius couldn't get over how much he'd messed up. 

She had approached him that night, enthusiastically plopping down beside him.

"Never a dull day at Camp Cretaceous, right?"

Darius looked at her, and looked away in shame. He'd nearly gotten her killed. 

"Hey, what's up?" she asked, her tone softening. 

"I thought I knew everything about dinosaurs, but... all I did was up today," he sighed. "I... I just wanted..."

"People to like you?" Brooklynn finished for him. Darius gave her a surprised look. Then he smiled. Because she understood. And because it meant they had at least something to talk about.

"Yeah. Guess we have that in common."

"Well, tommorow's a new day. And thanks to you, I've got a new video to show the Brooklanders, so, um, I'm gonna go ahead and post."

Darius watched as she got back up and walked away.

"Later, Dino Nerd," she said. And Darius smiled hard enough for his eyes to squint a little. Because despite what had gone wrong, he'd gotten to know Brooklynn a little. And she'd gotten to know him. And that made him feel warmer inside.

Chapter Text

"Darius, Yaz, come on!" Brooklynn said, pulling Darius up from beside Yasmina. Darius smiled the moment he heard her voice. They'd gotten pretty close since that day on the gyrosphere. And, now that they had to rely on one another to stay alive, it only pushed them closer. 

Brooklynn pulled Darius away to where Sammy and Kenji were dancing, Yasmina staying where she was to finish a drawing. Darius began to dance, with Dave's Demos playing from an MP3 player. The 'dancing' consisted of swinging their arms and moving their hips a little, nothing skillful. But, they enjoyed it nonetheless. 

He and Brooklynn smiled at one another, eyes meeting the whole time. Her eyes were so pretty, and her smile was infectious. 

"Woah... look at that," Sammy said. Everyone stopped what they were doing, and gathered around at the makeshift balcony They'd built. They watched the sky as meteors showered down, cutting through the starry night. 

Darius felt an arm drape around his shoulder, and he turned to whoever did it. He found himself eye to eye with Brooklynn again, her soft smile bringing out one from himself. He turned back to the sky, slightly leaning into Brooklynn. Something about her always made him feel better. She was, by far, the best friend he'd ever made. 

He then remembered his thoughts from earlier. How pretty her eyes looked. Was that normal? He couldn't get an answer, as they'd spotted smoke, and consequently, a campfire in the distance. 

Chapter Text

"Just because Mitch is acting all 'cool dad' with you doesn't..."

Darius looked at Brooklynn, and he knew his eyes weren't doing a good job of hiding how much it hurt to hear that. He didn't let her finish whatever sentence she wanted to say. He left the yurt, and pushed his tears back down. He balled his hands into fists, clenching tightly to make sure the tears didn't even reach the corners of his eyes. 

He stormed past Tiff and Mitch, and when Mitch asked about Brooklynn, he looked back. Brooklynn came into view, stopping all the way back by the table. 

"Don't worry about her. She's doing her own thing," he said, turning his head back around and storming forward. 

He understood that she was naturally conspiratorial. But she'd taken it too far. He tried to be nice about it at first, only for her to embarass him and the others by trying to sneak into Hap's yurt. Right after that, she had them meet in the stall of the bathroom again. This time, he wasn't so nice. And things got personal.

He started it, sure, saying she was doing this for attention because Tiff and Mitch didn't know who she was. And she'd said he only cared about dinosaurs. But then she got too personal. 

He knew she didn't mean it, deep down. But to know that it hadn't even crossed her mind that bringing up the term 'dad' was a step too far hurt. And it made him realize something. 

Maybe they weren't as close as he thought they were. 

Chapter Text

"Once this is done, get everyone out. Get them home."

"You're still trying to do it alone!"

Darius dipped down into the tunnels.

"Darius!" he heard her shout through the intercoms. He slid down the ladder and wandered through the tunnels, regret swirling in his mind. She should've listened to her. He shouldn't have trusted Mitch and Tiff so easily. Because he didn't listen to her, though, he'd put the dinosaurs and his friends at risk. Either kill the dinos, or stay on the island.

He'd already tried to lead Tiff and Mitch to Main Street, to lose them and leave them to the T. rex's mercy. But they escaped. And they figured out where the watering hole was. So, despite Brooklynn's protests, Darius intended to go ahead and stall them while the others got the dinosaurs away. 

He stood before Tiff and Mitch, backing up slightly as they took small steps toward him.

Then Brooklynn crashed into them with a gyrosphere, and stepped out.

"Nice driving! I-"

"What the heck are you doing?!" she shouted at him, voice strained as she walked toward him. 

"I couldn't put you guys in more danger. This is my fault."

"No, Darius," she said, placing her hands on his shoulders. "You have been trying to get us home since the moment the Indominus rex broke out."

As he turned further away, she made him look at her. Their eyes met again, but he looked down. 

"The only thing you're guilty of is keeping us all alive. And I'm sorry it took me this long to say that," Brooklynn said.

"No. I'm sorry," Darius said. "You were right to be suspicious of them."

Tiff and Mitch were back up, emphasizing the fact they had their guns. 

They heard Dave's Demos in the distance, and Darius met Brooklynn's eyes again. He felt his confidence grow, and looked at the two hunters with determination. 

"We're armed, too, with friendship," he said firmly. Brooklynn let out a 't' sound beside him. 

"We are not armed with that," she said. 

"No, it-it's like a cool guy thing to say," he began, turning to Brooklynn. She gave him an unimpressed face. 

"Dude, it so isn't."

"Agree to disagree?" Darius proposed, the two smiling at one another. He felt a huge wave of relief wash over him, more than glad to have that friendly banter back. 

As the others got closer, he turned to Mitch and Tiff again, with an almost arrogant smirk. He felt Brooklynn rest an arm on his shoulder, and he straightened up, hoping they looked as cool as he imagined they did. 

"What my cornball friend here was trying to say is that you guys might be armed, but there's six of us, two of you. And most importantly," she said, and Darius turned to face her as she trailed off. She was looking at him with a smile. 

His smirk grew as he turned to the hunters.

"We were just stalling."

As the hunters stared in disbelief at their friends marshalling the dinosaurs away, Brooklynn and Darius made their way back into the gyrosphere and drove off. But, unfortunately, the hunters had turned around just in time to spot them. They frantically drove, intent on getting to the boat before the hunters. 

Unfortunately, just like last time, things went wrong and the gyrosphere stopped moving after they crashed into a rock. Tiff and Mitch soon caught up, taunting them. But then they ran off. The ground shook, and Darius and Brooklynn were caught in a stampede, banging into dinosaurs and trees helplessly.

In a moment of sheer luck, the gyrosphere screen came back to life, and Darius quickly began to maneuver the ball away from the herd and back toward the docks. But they were too late. Darius sprinted full speed as Tiff moved the yacht forward, taking the cleat of the dock with her. Darius slipped, kicking his feet to prevent himself from going over the edge.

Brooklynn also pulled him back, away from the edge. 

Darius walked back up to the gate, weakly hitting the side of his fist against the concrete. He felt a reassuring hand on his back and turned to face Brooklynn.

She bore a soft smile, and it was enough to wash away the guilt and frustration. She cared. She cared way more than he thought she did. 

He felt his heart skip a beat at the realization. He didn't know why, and he didn't have time to think about it as he laid his eyes upon Ben again. 

Chapter Text

They'd spent their afternoon and evening together on the yacht. Relaxing, sharing fist bumps, being terrorized by Kenji, and plotting revenge. In the weeks since their argument in Tiff and Mitch's restroom yurt, they'd gotten even closer than before. Practically inseperable. 

And Darius loved it. Now, as they wandered through the fog for supplies to patch a hole on the hull of the boat, he was keenly aware of the way she held onto his arm. And he was so thankful for the fog in that moment. Because he was sure he was blushing hard. 

In their time on Nublar, her hair had lost its pink coloration at the roots, exposing its natural brown color, before tranisitioning to her signature pink. And Darius thought it looked beautiful. He'd never denied that she was pretty. But whenever he looked at her, he couldn't help but note how pretty she truly was. 

They wandered through the fog, separating at certain points and then reuniting. Darius warned her of the torn down fence of the docks, and they began to look for the others, sticking close. 

But, as usual, things devolved into the usual panicked running from dinosaurs. This time, it was a group of Ouranosaurus. They got back to the boat, where Kenji pelted one of them with party poppers. 

As the others loaded onto the boat, Darius and Brooklynn stood by the hole. 

"Can you do anything with this tape?" he asked, holding up some tape he'd found on the docks.

"Only everything! Quick, grab whatever you can to plug it up," she said to the others. She and Darius quickly got to work, using whatever they were given to plug in the hole and covering it up with tape.

Yasmina pulled up Brooklynn, leaving Darius to have to chase as Kenji pulled the boat forward. He leaped up and was pulled onto the boat by Brooklynn, Yaz, and Sammy, barely avoiding a bite from the hadrosaurs. 

When they learned the Ouranosaurus could swim, it was Brooklynn who suggested they scare the animals off. 

Darius ran off and grabbed fireworks which Brooklynn had planned to use to scare Kenji. He leaped up onto a table right in front of the animals and fired the fireworks into the sky, the others soon doing the same. And it worked, with Darius and Brooklynn standing side by side. 

"Didn't get to scare Kenji, but I'll count this as a win," he said. 

"Heck, yeah," Brooklynn replied, and they shared another fist bump. 

Darius glanced at Brooklynn. She was pretty. She was kind. She was understanding. She was determined. She was resourceful. She was everything that was good. So, how could he not have a crush? 

It was something new to grapple with. He'd never been the type to worry about his love life. And now, all of a sudden, in the midst of trying to survive dinosaurs and hunters and get home, he'd caught feelings for Brooklynn. 

Chapter Text

Darius had tried to stay strong about his belief things would turn out alright. But he knew that Kenji had a point. Leaving Brooklynn at the mercy of a mercenary and a merciless scientist. It was stupid. Stupid. He'd been so stupid. And what hurt more is that it could have been avoided if he'd gone after her in the vents. She was the one with the laptop? How could he allow her to be the last in line? 

Everybody tried to reassure him, bar Kenji. Darius tried to remain defiant about the plan he'd had. Copy everything on a hard drive, wipe the laptop, exchange it for Brooklynn, and get away. 

But, deep down, he knew this shouldn't have happened. And he knew that he was taking a chance that wasn't worth taking. He was taking a chance on the life of Brooklynn, and for that, he truly did resent himself right now. But it was too late to undo it. He could only hope and pray this would work out ok.

Chapter Text

He embraced her like no tommorow the moment they were a safe distance away. She hugged back. And it felt like the warmest, coziest blanket. When they pulled away, he looked into her eyes, the most relieved of smiles on his face. He was so, so thankful it worked out. 

"Sorry the rescue didn't go as smoothly as I'd hoped," he apologized as they bid farewell to Bumpy. Brooklynn's chuckle warmed his heart. 

"It never does. But somehow, it always works out."

She looked so beautiful, he thought. In the sunrise, her smile as warm and beautiful as always. His confidence restored, he tried to talk to Kenji. But Kenji didn't want any of it. He made it clear that he didn't forgive Darius for his decision to leave Brooklynn. 

It was hard to take, his fist dropping as Kenji refused to bump it. He felt a hand placed on his shoulder and turn him around. He was met with Brooklynn's gorgeous teal eyes. 

"Come on, let's all go home," she spoke, her voice soothing him and her smile doing what it always did. Making his heart flutter. As they set off from the island, Kenji still didn't talk. Darius looked onward, to the open ocean. With this being their last day around one another, he worried Kenji would never speak to him again. 

"So, Dino Nerd," he heard beside him. Brooklynn. Again. "Now that it's over, I'm guessing the whole Jurassic World experience wasn't exactly what you thought it'd be."

"Yeah, that's for sure."

He looked at Brooklynn, and she still looked so pretty. He looked across the boat, and then up at Kenji before turning around. He looked at Brooklynn again. 

"But, it wasn't all bad either, not by a long shot."

He looked at her as he said those words. And she gave him a playful nudge. He giggled, and they smiled at one another. And as his eyes met hers, he began to ponder.

They were safe now. No more having to focus on surviving. He wanted to say it. But maybe she didn't feel the same. But he wanted to, so badly. 

He was so surprised she harbored no anger towards him. He knew it was her decision for him to take the laptop. But, he figured that him actually agreeing would still cause her to feel somewhat negative. And yet there she stood, comforting him, smiling at him. 

He made his mind up as he walked back to the other end of the boat, taking a mental picture of Isla Nublar as they got further away from it. He was going to do it when they got to the mainland. He'd tell her. 

Chapter Text

"Why would Brooklynn care?" Darius asked, confused as to why Kenji was singling her out as they entered the swamp biome. He hadn't spent too much time with her, thanks to Kash keeping him hostage for a while and all. 

"Uh, oh, uh, because she's my..." Kenji trailed off. He turned around, hiding the lower half of his face behind his wooden shield. He lowered it for a moment.

"Girlfriend."

He hid the lower half of his face again. Darius' eyes widened and his jaw dropped, and suddenly the door closed. It opened again. And Darius' expression hadn't changed. 

Kenji and Brooklynn were dating. Kenji and Brooklynn were a couple. 

The door shut again as Darius processed it. 

He wondered for how long they'd liked one another. He also, of course, felt his heart sink a bit. He liked Brooklynn, too. He had liked her for a while. But he'd planned to tell her that when they got home. That was supposed to happen the day after they'd left the island.

Instead, they were stranded on a new one. And he had to focus on surviving and stopping more evil people. And he'd been kidnapped. So he never told her. But Kenji had. 

Well... it was just a crush. He'd get over it. Besides, it wouldn't have mattered if he'd told her. She liked Kenji. And how couldn't he be happy for the guy who was like a brother? 

Chapter Text

"You really are starting to understand them," Brooklynn said. Darius didn't spare her a glance, eyes glued to the tablet. He sat down. 

"They're easier than some people," he flatly stated. He tapped away at the screen, ignoring everything around him. He felt her eyes on him, though, lingering. He looked back, not moving his head. And then he fixed his sights on the screen again. He was still not over his crush. And he'd not wanted to talk about Kenji. 

He knew she was trying to get him to. Because he'd hurt her the most by abandoning them. But speaking about it all would hurt too much. 

"I saw him today," she said. He heard her footsteps, and looked away from the spot next to him as she sat down. 

"He was controlling Toro, like, without a care in the world. I swore it was all Mr. Kon, but it's not. It was Kenji."

Darius looked to the side again, and he saw the pain in her eyes. He simply sighed, tapping the screen again. He wanted to absorb himself in dinosaurs again. Focus on what he'd originally intended to focus on. 

"Please, Darius, I... I need you. Because, I'm so angry, and hurt, and confused. How could I fall for a guy who would do that?"

Darius eyed her again as she spoke. She had tears in her eyes. 

"I was so wrong about him," she continued. "But, at the same time... I'm still hoping that I'm not."

Darius didn't say anything, still looking down at the screen. 

"I'm sorry, I... no, this is stupid. I... I guess... I just thought that if anybody could that, that you might understand."

Darius squeezed his eyes shut.

"I do."

He looked at her, letting his eyes show how he truly felt. Sad, uncertain, heartbroken. He looked down at the tablet.

"I thought he was my best friend, and... part of me hopes he still is, but most of me doesn't know it I could ever trust him."

"Or forgive him?" she searched. 

"Yeah."

"Me too."

"I guess that's why I wanted to be with the dinosaurs." 

He hopped off of the back of the truck. 

"At least with this, I know exactly what they're feeling. Nothing messy or complicated about it."

As much as this was about Kenji, some of it was about Brooklynn. Maybe it was the fact Kenji had betrayed them so quickly after Darius learned Brooklynn didn't like him back, but he hadn't gotten over it. 

He looked down to the ground, a pang of regret hitting him. He'd been so intent on avoiding it all, he ignored the friendship that was so vital to him. 

"Brooklynn, I'm... I'm sorry I wasn't there for you," he apologized. He felt her hand on his shoulder. She had a grateful smile on her face.

"You are now," she said, the two turning to face forwards. She draped an arm around his shoulder. "That's what matters."

Darius smiled, looking at her. 

"So... what now?" he asked her. 

"We feel lousy for a while and hope eventually it'll hurt less?" she suggested. 

"I mean, what do we do no?" he clarified with a small chuckle.

"If you still wanna stop his dad from ever controlling the dinosaurs again, we did get a hot tip on how we can really mess with his plans."

"Then what are we waiting for?" he asked, finding energy in his voice again. Boy, did he need this talk. To help him soothe the pain of Kenji's betrayal. And to ease his mind regarding how he felt about Brooklynn. 

They still had each other's backs. That was what mattered most. 

Chapter Text

He felt as though he'd go unconscious at any moment. But he continued to force his eyes to remain open, dragging Brooklynn out of the gas bit by bit. He kept going, and going, and going, and he collapsed beside her. He got up, sucking up as much air as possible. He looked down Brooklynn. She was still not awake. And he felt panic set in, heart sinking rapidly. 

"Brooklynn," he began shaking her by the shoulder, "Brooklynn. Wake up. Come on."

His eyes widened in terror when she stayed still. She soon started coughing, holding herself up with an arm. Darius let out a huge exhale of relief. 

"What happened?" she weakly asked. 

"Are you okay?" he asked, the worry clear as day in his voice. She held her head, then looked at him. 

"You pulled me out. Once again, you saved the day," she said. The words didn't settle in. He quickly sat up, leaning against the pipes lined up against the walls, catching his breath. 

"Oh, yes. Still recording. Totally captured you being a hero," he heard her say. He forced a small smile, but he couldn't keep it. 

"I don't feel like a hero."

He looked down at the ground beside him, going silent.

"What is it? You can talk to me, remember?" 

Darius pondered. But he needed it. He needed to let it out. And so he did. 

"It's not the same," she told him. 

"Really? How?"

"Trust me, Kenji is the one who lost his way. Not you," she said. 

"What if I'm just changing? All the 'life or death' situations, the choices between this bad thing or that even worse thing, it's turning me into someone I don't know. Someone I might not like."

He said it all. Every bit of frustration and worry that had built up not just since Kenji's betrayal, but since the moment he had to make a decision on what to do when the Indominus attacked. 

There was silence for a moment.

"You know why we all look to you? Because your light burns bright, Darius Bowman."

Darius slightly lifted his head, eyes looking toward her. He noticed that she shifted, leaning towards him to make sure he saw her face as she spoke. 

"No amount of terrible choices can put it out."

She positioned herself in front of Darius, placing a hand on his shoulder. 

"And I'll follow you anywhere."

Darius looked up to meet her eyes, searching for honesty. Everything she'd said, it made him so grateful to have her. She always knew which what to say. They were words he immediately knew he'd remember for the rest of his life. And in that moment, he was reminded of what he loved about her. 

"You sure about that?" he asked. She gave him a dorky sort of smile, as if to say 'Seriously?'

"Yep. Now, come on. The others are probably waiting for us."

Darius looked down for a moment, then back to her as she walked away. He realized in that moment that, what he felt towards her wasn't a simple little crush. He was in love. Deeply in love. 

Chapter Text

Darius poured the remaining coffee for himself into a mug, opening the door. He picked up the two mugs, one in each hand. He let the door shut behind him and rounded the corner to the outdoor table. There sat Brooklynn, with her shut laptop in front of her. He held out one of the cups.

"Thought you were headed to work," she said. 

"My boss is picking me up in a few," he said. He took a sip of his coffee. 

"How is everything at work? Got any DPW tea you wanna spill?" she asked. Darius' eyes quickly lit up.

"Work's awesome. We're really making a difference."

Brooklynn's phone buzzed with a notification, and she quickly picked it up and stared at the screen, letting out a gasp and typing away. She seemed excited at whatever it was.

"Uh... you good?" 

"Amazing, actually."

She looked up at him with an almost surprised look. 

"Hey, can you meet me somewhere later? There's something I need you to see. It's super important."

She sounded serious. 

"That's kinda mysterious, but you know I'd do anything for you," he said. And he meant it. 

"You're the best," she said, prompting Darius to smile down at his coffee. He'd been in love with Brooklynn for six years.

And, in the two weeks she'd stayed over at his cabin, his feelings had only gotten more intense. He sat down across from her, looking up at the morning sun.

"Thanks for letting me crash here. I really needed a change of scenery."

Darius gave her a wordless smile. Her purple and teal hair looked even more stunning in the glow of the rising sun. 

"And sorry if this is weird for you. I know Kenji's your best friend."

Darius pondered for a bit. He turned his body to face hers, and decided to ask what he'd been itching to ask.

"Can I ask what happened?" he said. 

"He got upset because I've been a little distracted with work. He just doesn't understand how important it is to me. He... wants me to be someone I'm not."

Darius was a little surprised by how open she was. Just letting it all out. And, he didn't get it. Kenji had been with her for six years. How wouldn't he understand how important her work was for her?

"That doesn't make sense. You're amazing. I've never seen anyone with as much dedication and passion as you have. If he loved you half as much as I do, he'd understand-"

"Did you just say- 'love'?" 

Darius went silent. The silence of the woods around them grew loud. His eyes shifted towards her as he realized that he had just let it slip.

"Oh, that? No," he said, waving his hands dismissively. "I mean like, I love all my friends, the same way. Well, maybe not the same way. But e-equally. Th-the same amount of love, even if... the love is different."

He shamefully looked to the ground next to him, knowing there was no rescuing this. Six years of keeping it hidden, just for him to let it slip out in the most stupid of ways.

The silence, though it was short, felt eternal.

"And... is the love different with me?"

Darius couldn't meet her eyes. He already knew she didn't feel the same way.

"Maybe."

He glanced at her. And he quickly reacted to the shock on her face.

"But our friendship is too important to me, and Kenji's my best friend, so let's just forget about it."

He saw her eyes look away from him, and stare seemingly at nothing. Like she was deep in thought. For some stupid reason, he decided to press the red button.

"Unless..." he trailed off. Her eyes met his again. And he realized that he'd only worsened things. The silence, again, felt eternal. 

"Darius, I just don't think... I'm not ready for-"

"No, no. All good, all good," he said, trying to ignore the giant holes he felt in both his chest and stomach. "We don't have to talk about this now, or ever again."

He heard the noise of a vehicle approaching, and he couldn't have waited any longer. He chugged down the rest of his coffee and set the cup down, quickly making his way down the front steps.

Ronnie explained the situation, but Darius didn't really pay much mind to it. A Compy injured. 

He rushed towards the car, but Ronnie had spotted Brooklynn.

"Darius thinks the world of you," she said, and Darius hoped she spotted him gesturing for her to stop. 

"And other people too. Big fan of people in general."

He stepped into the passenger seat, and introduced Brooklynn to Ronnie.

"Only other person who love- likes dinos as much as I do," he corrected, unable to say the word after what he'd done. 

He urged Ronnie to go, and she confusedly obliged.

"Darius," he heard her call as he face palmed. He looked at her. 

"We're still good for later, right?"

Darius never gave her an answer. He later told her he'd show up over text. But, as the time to meet up with her approached, he felt an anxiety like no other. He couldn't do it. He couldn't face her after being rejected the very same day. 

So he didn't show up. Until it was far, far too late. 

Chapter Text

Darius sank into the bathtub. His relationship with Kenji had been completely shattered after Brooklynn's death. They had only just begun to reconcile. And that was because Darius was there to console him after he'd witnessed his father get murdered. And now, he'd learn that Darius was in love with her. 

"These voicemails, all from after she died... there's hundreds of them. What aren't you telling me, man?"

Darius took a deep breath and exhaled. He couldn't hide it anymore. He had to tell Kenji the truth.

"I was in love with Brooklynn," he said. 

"What? When did you... when she and I were-"

"No! Never!" Darius denied, sitting up. "I-I promise."

He was lying. He'd fallen for her before she and Kenji had gotten together. He'd stayed in love ever since. 

"I... I didn't even start feeling that way until after you broke up with her. Didn't even think I could feel that way. But when she came to stay with me, things started to change."

He'd come clean about one thing. That he had been in love with Brooklynn. But everything else was a lie. He couldn't tell Kenji that he had fallen for Brooklynn since the days they were stranded on Nublar, or that he'd been in love with Brooklynn the entire way through her and Kenji's relationship. He just couldn't. 

Chapter Text

Darius was the last to reach her. As he walked up, he could scarcely believe it. But her eyes. The same teal blue eyes he'd looked into so many times. It was her. Brooklynn was alive. Kenji held her by the wrist, stopping her from boarding the plane with Soyona Santos. He smiled. He couldn't help but smile in disbelief. 

And then she broke away. 

"I'm not going with you," she said. Darius shook his head. He didn't want to. He couldn't let her go again. 

"We're not leaving without you."

"I'm not the same Brooklynn you knew. I have a job to finish."

Darius was left silent. Helpless. He wanted to so badly run up and pull her away as she boarded the plane. 

Ben managed to call her back. But only for a moment, as she handed Bumpy's egg to Kenji. And then she walked up the steps and disappeared again. 

He didn't know what it was. Guilt? Fear? But he couldn't move. He wanted to grab her arm and pull her back to them. To him. Away from danger. But he couldn't. He could only watched as the plane, and Brooklynn, flew into the orange sky. 

"And I'll follow you anywhere."

"You sure?"

"Yep."